Hanging By A Thread
by Infinite Snow
Summary: "I tried Kid; I really tried to hold onto whatever we had in the past. I hung in there. But I can't do it anymore or else I might die." - Depressing theme inspired by OneRepublic's song, 'Secrets'. [KiMa, KidxMaka]


A/N: Warning: This one-shot has few strong cursing, courtesy of Liz. This is an overly depressing theme that could make you cry.

The one shot is inspired by "Secrets" by OneRepublic. (I love the cello and violin melodies!)

-x-

Something so light and papery yet cardstock thick fluttered to the ground, not going down without a big showoff.

A blonde sat on her couch. Knees wrapped to her chest. Eyes looking down. Tears crawling out of her eyes.

The said blonde took a shaky breath. She reached for paper on the ground: a photo. Her thin fingers outlined the faces of black hair and three stripes and a pigtailed blonde hair.

It was Maka and Kid. On their first date. Maka hated photo booths and Kid agreed with her that those cost so much money for low-quality film that you do not get to preserve forever on a computer or something.

So they took a picture together. They asked some kind waitress to snap it for them. Be it a cliché, but they went to a nice restaurant.

Maka walked around the room, dragging her quilt blanket wrapped around her thin body. When she got up from the couch, the tissues that were clotted with her snot and compressed into little balls of used ones, fell on the floor like mini pieces of hail or little golf balls.

Maka delicately traced the details in the cardstock. She took in a deep breath and analyzed their relationship. Started sweet, but became distant. So distant that Kid acted like he didn't even know she was there unless she reminded him that she was his girlfriend.

Another door creaked open, and footsteps padded down to the living room and stopped.

"Maka, what are you doing?" Soul sleepily asked.

"N-Nothing," Maka feebly said.

Soul's eyes widened. He saw the picture in Maka's hand and knew she was relapsing. His girlfriend Liz knew about this as well, but there was nothing to do about it. Only Kid could put color back into Maka's life. He strode across to the room to where Maka was.

"Maka," Soul pried the picture from her hand and put it on the tableside.

"Maka," Soul repeated. Maka slowly looked at Soul with sad eyes. He felt a rush of sympathy for his meister.

"Look, I know you are crushed right now. I am too, just seeing you down. But you have to go to sleep, and I am sure everyone will want to see you tomorrow, they care about you," Soul softly said.

Maka's eyes watered and Soul's heart shattered at her vulnerable side, which came out only recently.

"What about Kid?" Maka whispered.

Soul wished he could tell her it was all going to end soon. Maka hoped that Kid ignoring her existence was a big joke. She hoped it would be a Jack-in-the-Box crash landing or Kid coming around the corner and warmly smiling at her and hugging her telling it was all done, that he would never leave her alone.

"I wish I could say yes," Soul whispered, and the tears spilled over from Maka's emerald eyes.

Maka broke down then and there, crying softly, and Soul was right there to hug her. After a few minutes, when Maka's crying stopped, Soul let her go but held her arms so she stood steady. Maka was so weak on the inside that she could stumble and fall if he let her go.

"Come on," Soul lead her gently, tugging the quilt up from the floor so Maka wouldn't trip.

Maka walked to her bedroom with Soul's help. He opened the door and she came inside and laid her down on her bed.

All during that, Soul sat down on the edge of the bed and Maka faced him. He gently stroked her hair back. Something Kid should do as her 'boyfriend'.

Maka's eyes filled with tears. She was so desperate for physical contact. Although Kid's gentle caresses were so much filled with meaning, Soul's was filled with sympathy, not pity.

The tears stained her green bed, making dark green spots when the tears met the green cloth. Soul's fists clenched at Maka's vulnerable state.

-x-

A hand gently shook Maka's shoulder. Maka robotically woke up. Soul looked at her with a face filled with sorrow and said, "School."

Maka would have hit him on the head to get out, but her heart was ripped out of her chest by Kid to even do that.

Soul left and Maka went to dressing for the day. As she put the Spartoi uniform on, along with the shoes, Maka lightly traced her heart. Just a hole where Kid emotionally took it away from her. Where he had ripped it out by abandoning her.

Maka looked in the mirror. It looked fine. Her hair wasn't a rat's nest. It was silky and smooth and hung past her shoulders in a curtain. Ponytails weren't needed. She still looked symmetrical.

-x-

As the two got off the motorcycle, people started whispering at the change in Maka's appearance.

"Don't let them get to you," Soul whispered, "They are just gossipy today, no biggie."

Maka smiled a little bit for a small time before it dropped when she saw the Thompson sisters and Death the Kid arrive to school.

"Are they… arguing?" Soul asked as he saw his girlfriend shout something at the reaper. Maka just looked down, suddenly lacking self-confidence.

"Maybe it is best that…" Maka started whispering but didn't finish it.

Soul faced her, "Best that what, Maka?"

"I break things off with him…" Maka's eyes brimmed to the tip with tears. They splattered down her face.

"Maka…" Soul said sympathetically, as they began to walk in the school.

"I can't work like this," Maka whispered, "Every single time I try to talk to him, he shovels me out. I try to be there for him when he needs a shoulder to cry on, I am there. And when he is with others, he treats me like I was never there."

Soul knew she was right. He wanted to prove her wrong, but he knew Maka wasn't the one to jump to conclusions with her relationship with Kid. Maka would always want it to be true and filled with love and she would give him all the chances to suck it up and become a real boyfriend if he loved her.

"What can I do to help?" Soul asked.

"I will write a letter for Kid at lunch time. Please give it to Liz, and ask her to pass it onto Kid," Maka said quietly as they rounded the classroom.

Soul didn't like to see Maka break it off with Kid. But he knew Maka would be a lot less miserable on her own than trying to be Kid's girlfriend, or in this case, pretend to be so.

He slowly nodded and opened the door for his meister.

-x-

The final bell rang of the day. Soul had Maka's letter for Kid, weighing a million tons in his pocket. He heard distantly a locker snap shut and he saw his beautiful girlfriend, Elizabeth.

"Soul!" Liz ran up to Soul and kissed him. Soul wasn't that short now, and it would be only a matter of time before he surpassed her height.

"Liz," Soul smiled, "Could you do me a favor?"

Liz pouted, "Honey my day had been terrible today. Another day please?"

Soul knew Liz would go through ends of hell for him. But today was worse than fighting ugly monsters and shooting their heads off and having to see it all happen.

"Liz, please?" Soul asked.

Liz saw the stressed look on Soul's face and asked, "Soul, what happened?"

"Maka has a letter for Kid," Soul scooted closer to her and whispered, "She wants to break it off."

Liz's eyes widened and she stepped away from Soul, "Why? Don't you know how crushed Kid will be?"

Soul looked at his girlfriend firmly, "Recently, have you seen how much skinnier Maka has been? Or the fact she hasn't been eating enough? And she studies way too much?"

Liz gasped. Soul was right.

"If Kid loves her, then why isn't he trying to act like her boyfriend?" Soul asked.

Liz sighed. She knew Kid loved her, but now that he knew he loved her and got her, he just cast her aside.

"Okay sweet pea, I will do it," Liz smiled a little. Soul smiled back, though both of their smiles were strained.

-x-

Kid was reading some book that he had fascinated about reading for some while in his personal library. When the door opened, he was surprised to find Liz coming in. Normally, Maka would be the only library fanatic to come. But lately she didn't come.

"Liz? What are you doing here?" Kid asked. Liz didn't casually smile or throw a joke back.

"I could say the same thing," Liz snapped and she held a letter out for Kid to take.

"What is this?" Kid asked.

"A letter from Maka," Liz said in an ominous tone.

Kid didn't notice it and started to snuggle back into his book, "Liz, I will read it after I finish. Put it right there-"

Instead of the letter being put on the table, Liz snapped and yanked the book out of Kid's hands and she chucked it across the room. Liz glared at Kid and asked, "What book?"

"Give me back my book!" Kid yelled.

"I do not see any book so you will read this letter," Liz glowered, making Kid feel a bit shaken.

"Fine."

Kid snatched the letter from Liz's fingers and he delicately opened the letter. Neatly taking the cheap stationary out of the letter, his eyes widened at the neat bubble handwriting in the notebook paper.

_Dear Kid,_

_I can't take this any longer. I thought we would have spent time together here and there when we became official. But we didn't. It started sweet and ended so crumbled._

_I tried to hold onto whatever we had left. But you won't even recognize me when I come up to speak to you. You won't spend time with me, talk to me, or even acknowledge me. I am not some greedy girl who wants a 24/7 commitment with eyes only on me. I just wanted you to allocate time to be with me just like how you allocate time for friends and family._

_When I started to lose weight and I started to eat less, I knew my physical limit was near. I can't go moping over the times when we just became official – sweet and caring and everything beautiful. Sometimes everything good has an end._

_I tried Kid; I really tried to hold onto whatever we had in the past. I hung in there. But I can't do it anymore or else I might die._

_Yours truly,_

_Maka_

Kid's hand holding the letter crumbled the letter and he hugged the letter. His back arched forward and it shook with sobs. Hot tears sprung from his eyes and he rocked his body back and forth to control it, but tears flew from his gold eyes like a river and sobs plunged out of his lips and hiccups ripped themselves out of his mouth.

A bit of Liz felt bad, seeing her meister break down. But she knew he deserved it. He abandoned Maka, so she left him. How much can Maka handle before she breaks?

Liz wanted to hug Kid. She wanted to comfort him. But he needs to realize what the shock of his actions did.

"You, young man are going to win her back. And when you do, you fucking better treat her right," Liz cursed and swiveled around and left the library, with Kid to process her words.

-x-

As he stepped into the DWMA, Kid felt drained. He had slept enough. But the sleep was taunted with nightmares of Maka's face. All the memories they had together, from start to finish.

When he turned his head slightly, he saw a head of ashy blonde not even bothered to be maintained in those two symmetrical pigtails. But nevertheless she looked symmetrical.

Maka seemed to be smiling a little bit more, probably because she wasn't bound to Kid and spending sleepless nights over him. But her eyes held unhappiness, like she wished things weren't the way they were happening. Like she wanted Kid back in her life but with more passion.

Maka saw Liz pass by and her eyes twinkled with mischief. She knew her partner had to put up with her so much to the point he was spending more time with her than his girlfriend.

Maka grabbed onto Soul's arm with one hand and grasped Liz's cuff with her other. The both of them were wide eyed as she would try to do such a thing.

"I want you two to go on a romantic date this afternoon," Maka said like a little child demanding ice cream.

"But someone has to watch you," Soul said, "Or else I do not know what will happen."

"I don't want to lose you," Liz agreed.

"Look," Maka said, "I have been moping around far too long. You two are an amazing pair and I do not want you to stop what you have. Please go for tonight. I will help you both with homework if that is what you are scared about. But if you go have a nice time tonight, I will be fine tonight."

"I am still going to have someone watch over you," Liz said stubbornly, and Maka rolled her eyes, anything to get Liz to agree.

"Okay, but this means you two are going to have a date tonight," Maka slightly smirked, only to grow when Liz relented and Soul shot her a smile.

-x-

Kid just sat in one of his library's plush chairs like a lifeless marionette, thinking about Maka and Maka only when the doors opened.

"Hey, Kid," Liz snapped.

"What?" Kid asked tiredly.

"Don't you dare 'what' me! Come on, or else you will be late!" Liz stomped over to where Kid was.

"I do not have anything planned for tonight," Kid looked at Liz.

Liz sighed impatiently and said, "Oh yes you do. Get your sorry ass to Maka's house because you are going to watch over her tonight."

"Why not Tsubaki?" Kid asked sadly.

"Well she chose not to be a fucktard and trample Maka's feelings like a certain someone," Liz glared.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" Kid asked.

"I do not give a rat's ass about your emotional bullshit. Maka is like a sister to me like Pattty so you are going to frigging fix it with her or else I will have your head," Liz snapped and she turned into a gun in Kid's hand.

Kid sighed, silently thanking Liz for the opportunity she opened for him.

-x-

Liz squealed when Maka opened the door. Maka smiled a bit when she saw Liz embrace Soul, but it dropped when she saw who was with her.

"Liz, I thought you would have Tsubaki watch over me," Maka sighed.

"Again with her? Look, I chose Kid. Talk about it and make up!" Liz shot Maka a smile and a glare towards Kid.

Before the two could say anything, Liz yanked Soul out the door.

Maka shifted on one foot and the other as she and her ex stood there awkwardly. Maka sighed in annoyance when Liz forgot to close the door and did it herself.

"Going to bed," Maka said simply, "Night."

Maka didn't want to do anything with Kid at all. She had her homework done and that was all she cared. Normally after homework a good book was what she would curl up to. But with her ex-boyfriend around, that wasn't the thing she wanted to the most in the world.

A hand grabbed Maka's right wrist and swiveled her around. Maka was confused before she hit something strong yet soft and her vision had gone black.

Maka had realized too late that she had been drawn in a hug. She tried to weasel her way out but Kid's strong arms encased around her and kept her there.

"Kid let go!"

"Why?!" Kid snapped.

"Because if you don't, then I will fall in love with you. And then we might get back together, all sweet. And then it will crumble. And then I will mope. And then I will send you a letter. And then you will come back pleading for a new start. And it happens again and again and my heart shatters again and again till I do not want to be with you again," tears sprung from Maka's eyes.

Kid's eyes watered. And he looked at the ground. Photos were scattered everywhere. The photos of them. From the time when they had a full commitment of love.

Tears slid down his cheeks as he finally understood the pain she went through. He squeezed the dangerously thin petite frame against his own.

"I will never let you go now," Kid shakily whispered, causing chills to go down Maka's spine, "Because I found the faults in my perfect ways."

"You had me hanging, Kid, on a thin thread," Maka whispered.

"And I will not do that again," Kid whispered, "Because in love, there is always a second chance."

"Oh sure. And after that I will give you a third chance, a fourth chance, a fifth chance-"

"Just a second chance," Kid whispered, "There is no third chance."

Tears penetrated his suit and Kid knew she was crying, something he didn't want her to do. But before he could break their hug and wipe the tears away, skinny arms encircled his waist.

"Silly Kid…" Maka whispered, "Even if you bombed the second chance, I love you so much I will give you infinite chances to fix yourself."

And it felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off his chest. His heart felt like soaring. His mind felt free and he felt like singing.

Tears unleashed themselves and Kid cried along with Maka as they hugged. Not in sadness, but in happiness because a second door opened, a second chance came to make this work.

-fin-


End file.
